I watched the film about 5 or 6 years ago and i remember that it had a really odd about the era or area it was set in, could anyone tell me when/where it was meant to be set, or was it meant to be unspecific?
Jim: No, see this is a really sh*t idea. You know why? Because it's really obviously a sh*t idea.
I always thought it was set in the present day, just no mention of where exactly. Most likely in the midwest somewhere.
shareSince you watched it quite a long time ago you have probably forgot one thing. When they're examining the blueprint the date is 1876, and Ernie says 'A centennial house could actually be worth something'. From this one might conclude the story takes place in the late 70s but there are certain automobiles that were produced in the early 90s.
The way you put it this was meant to be unspecific :))
It does look to be set in the 40's but there are cars from all era's in the film. It does have a dark atmosphere, sort of like the movie "Casper" did.
They call it a centennial house because it was built in 1876, which was America's centennial. (The 1976 one was the Bicentennial)
Yeah, it's the first thing that I noticed. The film has an odd 30s/40s feel to it with all those clothes and the overall mood and atmosphere.
Does anyone know why Verbinski did that?
You've been convicted of a$$hole-ism!
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For the longest time, I had been wondering what era this took place in. At first, I thought it was 1930s or 1940s, but then again, you have TVs in the film, which didn't exist in either decade. The cars, the way they dress. You have to know that they dress in certain clothes because it was in the middle of Winter. I guess it was in no specific era or place it was set in. Neither were mentioned.
"Don't blame me! Blame society!"-Carl "CJ" Johnson
It had to be set in the present because the exterminator used many new aged gadgets. He had Ultraviolet light glasses and a plasma screended radar camera. Not to mention all the new modeled cars. I think that gore was just going for a more timeless look which, i think, he achieved.
shareFrom memory and some from quotes:
* The string factory, alongside the string is from before WWI or even the 20th century.
* The clothes, some attitudes, hair styles and cars were throughout 1920's and 1930's (one particular automobile appeared to be from around the end of 1910's).
* Workers out of work is a clear reference either to the Great Depression of 1929 or 1938.
* The Hawaii references were towards 1940-1950.
* Ernie's referring to Hitler is clearly past 1940 or at least 1941.
* The Cardboard Lady in the tub is clearly 1950's, as were some of the hair styles.
* The hospital was from around 1975-2000: just look at the lights.
* Late 1960's-early 1970's: Asbestos and how to get rid of it.
* "The Omen" was a 1976 movie.
* Divorce had become very commonplace by 1980's and 1990's, although divorce rates grew steeply after 1960 with no-fault divorce laws introduced.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce#Statistics
* "Squeak Seeker 2000", Caesar's seeking device, was cleary an homage to 1980's and 1990's, when the year 2000 was coming closer and closer and every product had to have a "2000" moniker after its name (now we have 3000, even if the next millennium is so far away).
* One of the auction attendees' Mercedes-Benz cars was from the late 1970s | throughout/late 1980's | early 1990's.
* Adding Euro- ("Eurotrash scarfing up the shrips", from quotes) to everything is more likely a 1990's-2000's thing, with what the European Union, the Euro, the Eurozone and Americans' dislike of Europeans...
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurotrash
* Throwing out men from their own homes is very feminist for the time, so I guess a heavy 1990's streak was inserted, including a late 1990's element of Lars Smuntz (Lane) gettig a compliment about wearing a really classy woman's dress (1960's-something or later), which was pink (perhaps some reference to "The Birdcage" and/or cross-dressing in general).
* Openly talking about someone's "history of mental illness" in such a way is a reference to 1990's and 2000's (maybe even earlier), when shrinks are a sought-after people of profession.
Overall, I think the film has innumerable elements of retro and everything that is great in it, which makes this comedy a very timeless piece of cinema and I think it will remain a title to be watched for decades to come.
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